Eustis Troops Head To Iraq

100 Deployed To Support War

April 26, 2003|By STEPHANIE HEINATZ Daily Press

FORT EUSTIS — Nearly 100 soldiers from the 149th Transportation Company at Fort Eustis left to support the war with Iraq on Friday. This marks the base's second deployment this week -- about 200 soldiers from the 155th Transportation Company left Monday.

According to Cindy Your, spokeswoman from Fort Eustis, there are no other scheduled deployments at this time.

Pfc. Jose Olivo, a transporter with the 149th, was told Monday to be prepared to head to the desert in about 10 days -- and he couldn't wait.

"I'm ready," he said at Monday's deployment. "My bags have been packed."

Olivo has been waiting to do his part since shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when he left his family in Puerto Rico and joined the U.S. Army.

The mission of the 7th Transportation Group -- which includes the 149th and 155th transportation companies -- is to support the combat forces by conducting transportation operations at the air and seaports of debarkation.

More than 2,500 soldiers from the 7th Transportation Group are already deployed from Fort Eustis and Fort Story in support of the war. According to an Army spokesman, there is still no word of when they will be coming home.

Stephanie Heinatz can be reached at 247-4760 or by e-mail at sheinatz@dailypress.com